“We have to play good defense, don’t go in there afraid. They’re not superhuman,” said guard Greg Lewis, Winthrop’s leading scorer at 15.4 ppg. “They won’t go through the whole thing undefeated, I don’t think.”

If there is a team that should inspire fear, it’s the defending national champs. Forward Mike Dunleavy was named first-team All-American, and point guard Jason Williams is aiming to become the first repeat NABC Player of the Year since Ralph Sampson in 1983.

“I was intimidated my freshman year. We were in attack mode but I was a little timid. This year, nothing’s holding me back,” Williams said.

*

After last year’s first-round win over Indiana and a MAC-record-tying 18-game winning streak, Kent State is finally getting respect.

“It’s unbelievable that some people are picking Kent State,” guard Trevor Huffman (16.1 ppg) said. “I feel like we’ve never gotten respect, so that’s different for us. We’re usually the underdog.”

*

No. 20 OSU has been inconsistent, opening 13-0 but going just 10-8 since, leading coach Eddie Sutton to say, “Our team’s been a puzzle. I’ve never had a team that baffled our staff as much as this one. I considered having a psychologist come in.”

*

The NAACP is planning a protest because of the confederate flag flying at the State House. It was moved off the dome, but left on a monument on the grounds. The NAACP has announced a march on Saturday, with Greenville police preparing for protests today as well.

“To me and a lot of people, it’s offensive,” Notre Dame’s Harold Swanagan said. Sutton said, “My grandfather fought in the Civil War. It left a lot of wounds. It has to be disturbing to a lot of the people to still have that flag being flown.”

*

At 2:50 p.m., second-seeded Alabama (26-7) faces 15th-seeded Florida Atlantic (19-11), coached by ex-Knick Sidney Green. Both have much to prove after last year, with Atlantic winning just seven games and the Tide becoming the first 20-win major-conference team snubbed by the NCAAs. Notre Dame (21-10) faces Charlotte (18-11) in the 8-9 game at 7:40.